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The sound of churning engines and bellowing steam filled the atmosphere inside of Newton's eerie spider-like fortress.
Whirring gears, zapping electricity, and humming pipes radiated throughout the entirety of the inner chambers.
The sounds of Sack Thing's levitating prison joined in on the chorus. The purple energy surrounded the cloth-clothed humanoid within, providing levitation and a constant faint whooshing sound. Aside from the noises that polluted the room, the lair that confined their prison remained devoid of any life.
Filling the being within the levitating chamber with misery and worry as their companions have failed to arrive for a timely rescue. At first, the stitched being suspected that their allies were just a little late...but now, it's been far too long for it to be comfortable.
They have already tried to escape all by themselves, but once they touched the purple walls keeping them within the chamber, they would get a nasty electric shock from the purple energy that walled them off from the outside world.
They only had the courage to try a few more times before they finally gave up, as the pain from their hands and feet were becoming too much to endure.
They let out a long sigh.
How did they get into such a pickle?
Well, the moment they manage to corner the possessed Newton, he immediately sprung a trap on Sack Thing. As Sack Thing had stood in front of Newton to stop his escape, but they foolishly separated themselves from their group.
Behind Sack Thing emerged A vacuum-like device that sucked them up, forced them into this ominous purple energy, shoved them into this chamber that was being powered by separate batteries, and now they levitate helplessly within it. Unable to get out of their energy-based prison, no matter how much they struggled.
Finally, they just decided to bide their time and wait for their allies to come to their aid.
However, aside from the occasional distant explosion and what sounded like lazers going off, all would fall silent. Not a friend in sight. A few moments turned into minutes and minutes turned into what felt like hours. Sack Thing could only sit there alone with their thoughts in periodic silence and with the ambiance of a factory filling in the background.
It was oddly calming in a way...the sounds that were around them...they closed their eyes for a moment and visions of Clive's Factory danced about in their head. Images moving in their mind with the sounds they would hear around them, they were even imagining him sitting in his 'boss chair' and waving at them. It made them smile for a moment.
Not only that...the warm furnaces, the research data printed out on paper and stuck to the wall, the vain homages of Newton plastered all over the place...so many pieces of their surroundings made them think of their allies back on Craftworld.
Victoria...Larry...Avalon...Clive...and it was at this moment, a feeling that the little being in the prison would never thought they would ever feel suddenly appeared...loneliness. They felt so alone at this moment in time. Nobody on Craftworld knew where they had gone and their newest friends can't seem to break into this multi-appendages fortress.
It was a harrowing feeling. An awful feeling to experience.
They could only squeeze their eyes together tightly and push back the feelings of worry and loneliness to a deeper recess in their subconscious. Right now, they just needed to relax...and wait. They'll come. Hopefully it will be soon.
Then, they suddenly let out a slow and steady yawn.
This adventure has been...really tiring. They couldn't even remember the last time they slept or took a short nap. Running, jumping, eating, and doing daily heroic deeds can take a toll on someone after a long time without rest.
Slowly but surely, their eyes begin to grow heavy and their closed eyelids begin to relax. Their head lolls to the side as the zero-gravity inside their container begins to become a makeshift resting area. Maybe...catching a quick snooze before the final confrontation wouldn't be so bad, now would it?
They merely mentally shrug at their own question and as time slowly ticks by, they begin to drift off.
--
A sudden jolt sends them back to the world of the awakened, becoming rapidly alert and jabbing their legs in random directions. Only for one lone limb to strike the energy wall that was keeping them contained inside of their prison. Giving them a painful electric shock.
They let out a yelp and pull their throbbing limb back in close to them as their eyes adjust to the new lighting around them.
"Ohoho! Be careful, Sack Thing! We wouldn't want you to suddenly POP due to a suddenly large jolt of electricity, now do we? . . . Hmm, yes. Maybe we do. But, not right now! That will come later!" A familiar British tone reaches Sack's ears.
Sack looks beyond the walls of his prison, seeing it seem...slightly wider? Different? It was bigger than before, but not by much. They search their surroundings and find out that they have been moved from the lower decks.
It seems that they have been moved to...a throne room instead? When did this get put in?
With a quick glance in the direction of the voice, there he was in all of his illuminated vileness.
Newton Pud.
Sitting upon the new throne that he seemed to have made for himself. Purple, metallic rims, and the top of crest was topped with a bowler hat. A running theme that seemed to be going on around these parts...or anywhere that involved Newton in general.
"I see that you have taken notice of your new location! Do you like it? I made it all up from scratch...well partially anyway. The cardboard chair was already here, I just gave it some modifications to make it more...homely." Newton explains.
"You see ole chum, I have managed to hold off those pesky trinity heroes long enough for me to seal my fortress! They can bang, bomb, and boo all they want. This fortress was made to be impregnable! I know, I designed it myself."
Newton gloats as he stands up from his throne and walks down to where the main area is, which is where Sack's container happens to be, and he approaches it with a confident stride. Once he reached the wall separating you both, he almost begins to look smug about their current situation.
"Oh, look at you! Trapped like a goldfish in a tiny fishbowl! Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and a hostage of great value. It's not everyday that I capture a hero that has stopped two disasters on Craftworld! Actually, I never really caught anything before now...I can't even catch mice with mouse traps...hmm."
"Regardless, I have moved you from the lower chambers and, thankfully, you were passed out cold! Which made the transition from one trap to another that much more easier! Did my trap actually startle you that bad? I hope so!" Newton snickers arrogantly.
"So, I took my time to move you to a new container. One that's built right in the middle of my throne room! I could watch you float there for hours. Even now, I feel pride swell up in my chest when I remember that--"
Newton suddenly slams his fists against the outer walls of Sack's prison, causing them to jump. His voice glitches out and it quickly changes in pitch.
"--YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE."
Almost instantly, the much more calmer Newton reemerges, and takes his hands back off the wall. His bulb flickers for a bit, face flat and unreadable, until he refocuses and looks back towards the helpless Sack inside the prison.
"Oh, pardon me. I almost forget that you can't really talk. You never could, not even for screams of terror, joy, or sadness. You're silence perplexes me." Newton presses a finger to his non-existent chin and hums in thought.
"I was always curious about you. Ever since I heard that the Negativatron was slain by a sackperson, I almost couldn't believe it. Yet, here you are! Floating in front of me. Trapped, helpless, and completely at my mercy. I could vaporize you at any point...but I won't do that. No, no, no. You would be so much more fit, to be a...trophy of sorts."
"Yes...to Bunkum with all of those unimportant ribbons and recycled garbage! I have the best thing right here, in this very container! I have done the impossible! I have fought off the three heroes and captured their leader! Who plagued me and took away two of my titan spirits! Your arrival in my own domain was your downfall. Now I can show you off to anyone who dare oppose my rule over Bunkum! It's brilliant! You...are the one...and only...perfect trophy I need. The only achievement I should have pride in!"
Newton almost seems to cackle as Sack tries to shrink into themself throughout this whole ordeal.
This Newton was...not as fun as when he wasn't possessed. He was a clumsy oaf, sure. He wasn't good at anything and that's alright. But now...he was treating them as some...collectabell. Sack was a person, not a trinket!
They needed to get out and they needed to do it soon! Before Bunkum goes into ruins and fades away!
"Speaking of Craftworld...maybe...once I take over Bunkum...I can head over there and start a conquest! I won't be just the ruler of Bunkum...I'll rule over ALL OF THE IMAGISPHERE!"
Once those lines reach Sack's ears, they grit their teeth and slam one of their fist into the energy field separating themselves from Newton. Despite the painful zap they got, they continuously glare at him. Making Newton recoil in shock for a moment.
"Oh. How could I forget the obvious? You're from there and you fight so hard to protect what you love, don't you? Sorry, old chum. But my conquest must spread somewhere! It will be an honor, I can assure you!"
Newton suddenly backs off and begins to cackle madly. Almost as if he lost his own, metaphorical, marbles.
Sack was stunned at what they just heard. This sackperson in front of themself...he was a lunatic. Once Sack got themself out of this chamber they were going to pummel this joker into the dust! They were going to reduce him to scrap! They were--
Sack suddenly shook their head. Trying to snap out of their growing rage.
No! Newton was not the one doing this! It was that blasted titan within himself! It was making Newton do all of this! They just have to remember to not hurt the one that doesn't deserve it. Newton was an idiot, but he didn't deserve such a brutal beat down. In all honesty, he just needed to be sent to do community service for Bunkum.
They try in vain to speak up and talk down the possessed light bulb in front of them.
Yet, their voice box refused to work at all. All they could do was stare and tense up to stop their own frustrated shaking.
Newton seems to take notice of their trembling and scoffs.
"It seems I must'ave hit a really sensitive nerve. You seem to care lots about your home...which will make it all that much more sweeter to drain it of it's precious inspiration. Besides, it's not like you can do anything about it. I'm the one that brought you here after all...and I'm the only one who can get you back." Newton chides.
Sack could only give him a leer in return.
"But, enough diddly daddly! I have a world to drain dry AND a new world to explore and CONQUER. Ta-ta! I'll see you later, Chum! Muuuuahahahaahaaaaa!" Newton laughs as he turns around and skulks past his throne and out of sight, leaving Sack there with their thoughts.
They breathe in frustration and grip their hands into tight fisticuffs.
Then, they take another swing at the wall of energy ahead of them, it hurt the moment their fist mad contact, but for a split second, Sack swore they saw the wall give a bit from the force of their punch. They grin and swing again at the wall, getting the same results.
Once Sack gets out of there, they're going to give the last titan that was possessing Newton one heck of a beating.
Because once you threaten the lives of those who live on Craftworld, then it becomes personal.